Silent policeman.



1. A. WATTS.

SILENT POLICEMAN.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.Is. 1911.

APatented May 21,1918.

...Hakan I JOHN- A. WATTS, OF MILFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

SILENT POLICEMAN.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 19118,

Application led August 18, 191'?. Serial No. l.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN A. WA'rrs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milford, Pike county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Silent Policernen, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a signal device and more particularly to a street-traffic indicating device of the type known' as iron man or silent policeman.

@ne of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple and practical indicating signal device.

Another obiect is to provide a device of the above nature that shall be inexpensive of manufacture and at the same time of highly eilicient action.

Another obiect is to provide a device of such construction as to insure a high degree of ruggedness and durability and that will be characterized by a minimum susceptibility to injury when in use. y

rlhis invention has also for an object the provision of a signal device of the abovementioned type that will have maximum stability and therefore a minimum liability of overturning when in use under conditions of heavy tra-mc.

An object of this invention also is to provide a trac signal having certain parts fiexible in order to minimize the danger of destruction resultant from collision.

Another object also is to provide a signal device of flexible constructionv throughout having readily replaceable parts in order that any necessitated repairs may be facilitated and in order that the cost of maintenance will be a minimum.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction and operation, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which are exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. y

ln the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of several possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure is a plan view of a street trafhc signal device, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a bottom view, and Fig. i is a vertical cross section.

` vice Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a traffic signal device or iron man comprising a base member 10 and a legendbearing or signal device 11 suitably mounted upon the base 10. In order to insure a high degree of stability, the indicating de- 11, which forms the upper part of the trafiic signal is preferably made of light construction, such as sheet metal, and in the embodiment herein shown is made preferably cylindrical in form. The legend-bearing member 11 may be of any other suitable form and may be illuminated if desired in any suitable or convenient manner. The indicating device 11 isrotatably mounted upon a longitudinally extending rigid member' 12, as 1s more clearly shown in Fig. d, which is suitably secured at its lower extremity in the support 13, which support is attached to the base 10 in a manner to be hereinafter described. rllhe rotatable mounting of legend-bearing member 11 upon the member 12 is made in any suitable manner and preferably by means of a screw 14 extending through a bushing 15 in the upper extrennty thereof and secured in the upper end of the member 12. rihe lower end of the indicating member 11 is provided with an opening 16, large enough to freely encompass the supporting member 13. rl`he indicating device 11 is thus mounted so as to be freely rotatable, to diminish the liability of damage thereto by collision, its Weight,- however light, being borne by the rod 12, whose upper end surface serves as the bearing for the bushing 15 carrying the device 11.

lin order to further increase the stability of the traffic signal and to maintain its center of gravity at its lowest possible point, the base 10 is made relatively heavy with respect to the upper indicatmgdevice 11 and is provided with a bottom of substantially large area. The base member 10 is made of a heavy material such as for eX- ample cast iron, and is practically of the shape of a truncated cone, hollowed out to form a conical interior surface and lprovided with an opening 22 at its upper truncated section. A plurality of shoulders 17 and 18 are arranged in suitable locations in the lowermost interior portion of the base 10 and secured to the shoulders 17 and 18, as by screws 19--20 respectively,

is a supporting bridge 21. The shoulders are so proportioned that the supporting bridge 21 lies in a plane approximately coincident with or very l provided with a bushing" 23 into which is rigidly secured the lower end ofthe supporting member 13. The member 13 comprises a relatively still spiral spring of heavy steel spring Wire and may consist of one or more concentrically wound coils. In the present embodiment of this invention member 13 is shown toconsist of two coils 24-25 concentrically wound, which coils may also be wound in opposite directions. Member 13 extends upwardly from the supporting bridge 21 through the opening 22 in the base 10, which opening 22 is made relatively large with respect to the cross section of the supporting member 13. l It may be here noted and understood that this in- .vention contemplates also the use of other materials which may eil'ectually replace the spring coils of the supporting member 13.

In the useof the traflic signal suitable legends, such for example .as Turn to the right are inscribed upon the indicating member 11, and the silent policeman stationed at any desired point to direct vehicular traliic. The indicating device 11 being rotatable and having a plurality of legends-thereon, will always be in position to display at least one of the legends.

l Should the iron man'be struck by 'a passing vehicle, which is not infrequently thel case, the legend-bearing member 11 will simply be automatically forced away from the colliding vehicle by reason of the flexible supporting member 13 -and being rotatably mounted upon the rigid extension 12 of the support 13 it will simply be rotated and,

rolled along the side of the passing vehicle, returning to its normal vertical position as soon as the vehicle has passed'. The flexible supporting member 13l permits of a considerable deflection of the member 11 in a plane at right angles to the'plane of the base and the legend-bearing member 11 may be deflected into such positions as shown in the dotted lines 26-27 without danger of overturning. This` danger is minimized by reason of the construction of the base 10, whereby the flexible support 13 is secured at a point in a plane well below the Icenter of gravity and approximately in the plane of the bottom and by reason of the opening 22, which permits a largedeflection of the supporting member 13 laterally before contact therewith is actually made. In this manner the overturning moment of force is reduced to a minimum and the opposing' moment tending to maintain the base 10 in its normal position, is permitted always to remain 111 3.- maXll'Illlm- The silent policeman may even be completely run over without danger of being overturned, since the flexible construction of the supporting member 13 provides for the movement of the signal device 11in three component directions relative to the plane of the bottom of the member 10 and by reasonof 'the light 'construction of the legend-bearing member 11 and the relatively heavy construction of the base 10,- the center of gravity of the entire structure is maintained at such alow point that the moment of force tending to maintain the base 1'0 in upright position at all times preponderates over the overturning moment whose effective arm is extremely short. This latter feature is attained by securing the supporting member 13 to the base 10 at a point substantially within the plane of .the bottom of the base and byproportioning the opening 22 so that a maximuml deilection of a signal device 11 may take place before the spring 13 comes in contact with the sides of the opening 22.

It is also to be noted that the base mem- -ber 10 is given exteriorly a shape such that vehicle wheels will readily slide olf! the` base.

man in which t e parts are of simple construction and are readily replaceable and whose action is nevertheless eilicient and reliable. It will further be seen that a signal device has been provided in which the liability of damage from collision is a mini- In case the iron man is collided Awith in such manner, the upper signal demum and in which the stability is a maximum. It will also be noted that this invention provides a construction in which the various objects 'are achieved, and man other advantages not heretofore noted e fectually gained.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodimentabove set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to bel interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. Ina construction of the class described, a base having a relatively large bottom and having upwardly and inwardly extending sides terminating in a relatively large opening in the top thereof, substantially above the plane of the bottom of the base, an indicating device, and flexible -means for mounting said device upon said base, said means being secured to said base substantially in the plane of the bottom and extending freely through the opening in the top of said base and normally out of contact with said top, the sides protecting the lower portion of the flexible means.

2. In a construction of the class described, a base having substantially the form of a truncated cone and having an opening in the top thereof, a signal device, and a flexible support for mounting said device upon said base, said support being secured substantially in the plane of the bottom of said base and extending through the opening in the top thereof, said opening being large with respect to said support.

3. In a construction of the class described, a base member having a relatively large bottom and having a relatively large opening in the top thereof, partially exible means secured substantially in the plane of' the bottom and extending freely through said opening in the top of said base and normally out of contact with said top, and an indicating means mounted rotatably upon the rigid portion of said partially flexible means.

4. In a construction of the class described,

a base member having a relatively large bottom and having a relatively large opening in the top thereof, iiexible means having a rigid extension and secured substantially said base and extending freely through the opening in the top thereof and normally out of contact with said top, said opening being larger than the cross-section of said sprin to permit swinging of said device.

6. n a construction of the class described, a basevmember having a relatively large bottom and having a relatively large opening in the top thereof, a signal device, and a supporting member comprising a plurality of concentrically Wound ,coiled springs for mounting said device upon said base, said springs being secured substantially in the plane of the bottom of said base and extendin k through the opening in the top thereof, said opening being larger than the cross-section of said concentrically Wound springs.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 16th day of August, 1917.

J OHN A. WATTS. 

